1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for identifying tooth-coloured tooth filling residues.
2. Description of the Related Art
For some time now tooth fillings have been used in dental medicine, which can no longer be readily distinguished from healthy tooth. If those fillings have to be removed it is difficult for the dentist to see whether the filling has been completely removed.
Therefore technical aids have been proposed for discovering tooth filling residues. DE 196 19 067 proposes distinguishing tooth filling residues from the tooth-substance on the basis of the differing scatter characteristics thereof in relation to Raman scattering. To find tooth filling residues, the free end of an optical fibre, at the other end of which there is a laser, is directed on to the tooth. Light scattered by the tooth substance is collected by means of a collector device and fed to an evaluation unit where it is spectrally filtered or split up. Detection of the tooth filling material is then effected in the evaluation unit on the basis of characteristic intensities. The result of the detection procedure is communicated to the dentist by way of a display device or automatically registered by means of a registration device. However such an apparatus requires relatively complicated and expensive analysis of the scattered light as well as a relatively high level of technical expenditure for displaying the result of the analysis procedure.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a method of identifying tooth filling residues, by means of which the detection of tooth-coloured tooth filling residues can be simplified. A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the method.